The invention relates to a device for controlling an apparatus, the device comprising: a receiving unit for receiving speech input, an analyzing unit for analyzing the received input for recognizing a command, a transmitting unit for transmitting the command to the apparatus, and an activation unit for switching the device from a standby mode, in which the device is not operational for actual control of the apparatus, to an operational mode, in which the device is operational for actual control of the apparatus.
The invention further relates to a remote control comprising such a device.
The invention further relates to a system comprising a plurality of such devices.
The invention further relates to a method of controlling an apparatus, the method comprising: a receiving step for receiving speech input, an analyzing step for analyzing the received input for recognizing a command, a transmitting step for transmitting the command to the apparatus, and an activation step enabling the recognizing and transmitting of the command.
Such a device can be implemented as an agent using the Microsoft Agent API (Application Programming Interface). The document xe2x80x9cDesigning Characters for Microsoft Agentxe2x80x9d, August 1997, available from Microsoft Corporation, describes how to develop an agent as part of the interface of an apparatus. In the context of Microsoft Agent, an apparatus is a client application program running on a computer. The agent is displayed to the user as a character by means of different animations, whereby the actual animation is chosen in dependence on the actual state of the agent. In addition to commands via mouse and keyboard, the agent may receive commands via speech input. To realize this, the users puts the agent into the listening mode by pressing the so-called push-to-talk hot key. Then the agent becomes sensitive to speech input and the user may speak the desired command or commands. To visualize that the agent has entered the listening state, the corresponding listening animation is displayed on the screen. In the listening state, the agent tries to recognize commands in the speech input. If the agent has recognized a command, this command is transmitted for execution to the client application program to which the agent is assigned.
It is an object of the invention to provide a device as described in the preamble which is more user-friendly than the known device. This object is achieved according to the invention in a device which is characterized in that the activation unit is arranged to receive speech input and to analyze this received speech input for recognizing an activation instruction and to switch the device form the standby mode to the operational mode upon recognizing the activation instruction. The user can put the device according to the invention into the operational mode by speaking the activation instruction and the user does not need to push a special key. This means that this device does not need such a special key. Furthermore, the user need not physically handle the device since only speech input is required and the operation is thus completely hands free. This is particularly advantageous in a situation where a user is performing another task in addition to controlling the apparatus. An example of such a situation is driving a car and meanwhile operating the car radio or a car telephone. Since there is no need for physical contact with the device according to the invention, the user may be even a certain distance away from the device as long as the input spoken by the user can be received in the device.
An embodiment of the device according to the invention is described in claim 2. Since this device switches autonomously from the operational mode to the standby mode if no commands are given for a certain period, there is no need for the user to explicitly switch the device to the standby mode. Because of the autonomous switching to the standby mode, there is very little chance that the device accidentally remains in the operational mode. The device should not remain accidentally in the operational mode since then the device may recognize commands in any ongoing conversation and may transmit these unintentional commands for execution to the controlled apparatus. When the user has spoken the activation instruction, the device offers the user an attention period in which the user may speak any of the commands controlling the application. When such a command is not given during the attention period, the device returns to its standby mode. This mechanism is also a safeguard against unintended operation of the device and corresponding unintended control of the apparatus. If the device in its standby mode accidentally picks up the activation instruction from a conversation, it subsequently remains operational for only its attention period and then switches back to its standby mode. This reduces the chance of unintended control of the apparatus.
An embodiment of the device according to the invention is described in claim 3. This device notifies the user by means of an audible signal when it enters the operational mode and has become sensitive for commands in the speech input. For this notifying purpose, an audible signal is superior to a visual signal since a visual signal requires the user to continuously pay attention to a screen or part of the device displaying the visual signal. A visual signal may therefore remain unnoticed, especially in the case of an unintentional entry into the operational mode, thus leaving the user unaware of the change of mode of the device. A further advantage of this device is that it can completely operate without a display screen, thus saving costs of manufacturing.
An embodiment of the device according to the invention is described in claim 4. The attention signal is used to inform the user of the progression of time during the attention period and to notify the user again that the device is in the operational mode, ready to receive commands via speech input.
An embodiment of the device according to the invention is described in claim 5. The end signal notifies the user that the device is no longer in the operational mode and thus no longer sensitive to commands in the speech input. This device allows for a user-friendly and flexible control of an apparatus because of the easy and clear switching between the standby mode and the operational mode. Upon recognizing the activation instruction, the device produces a start signal informing the user of the start of an attention period during which the device is sensitive to commands in the speech input. The device transmits recognized commands to the apparatus for execution. If no command is given and recognized during a predetermined period, the device times out and produces an end signal indicating the end of the attention period and that the device is no longer sensitive to commands in the speech input. As long as the period of time between two commands is shorter than the predetermined xe2x80x9ctime outxe2x80x9d period, the device remains in the operational mode and ready to receive commands in the speech input.
It is well known to use a remote control to control an apparatus like a television set or a hi-fi set. A function of the controlled apparatus is activated or adjusted by pressing a corresponding key or combination of keys on the remote control. Pressing a key on the remote control results in the transmission of a wireless, e.g. infrared, coded signal by the remote control. This signal is received in the apparatus and translated into the corresponding action. Examples are adjusting the volume setting of the hi-fi set and selecting a channel on the television set. Thus a command is given by pressing a key on the remote control and the command is executed by the apparatus controlled by the respective remote control.
A remote control can advantageously be equipped with a device according to the invention. Then some of the commands supported by the remote control can be given as speech input. This reduces the required number of keys on the remote control, in the case where the same commands are to be supported. Alternatively, in the case where new commands are supported by the device according to the invention, the remote control can support the larger number of commands without the need to increase the number of keys. Furthermore, all commands of the remote control may be supported by the device according to the invention, thus making it possible to have a remote control with no command keys at all.
A system comprising a number of apparatuses to be controlled comprises respective devices for this control. In such a system it is advantageous that each device has its own unique activation instruction, because then it is easy to put a single device in its operational mode and to leave the other devices in the standby mode. The user simply speaks the activation instruction of the device controlling the desired apparatus and subsequently speaks commands for this apparatus. The other apparatuses will not respond, even if some of the commands are the same as for the currently controlled apparatus, since their devices are in the standby mode not recognizing and transmitting such commands. One or more of the devices of this system may be integrated into one overall device. This overall device performs the tasks of one of the devices after the respective activation instruction has been received and recognized.
The controlled apparatus can be one of various kinds. For instance, it may be a single standalone apparatus like a television set or an application program running on a computer. To this end, the device according to the invention can have different embodiments. It can be a separate device, like a remote control, which operates in a standalone way and transmits its recognized commands to an apparatus via a wireless link. Also, it can be implemented as a software program running on a computer and forming part of an interface to an application program. In that case, the device transmits commands to the controlled application program as parameters in software protocols, whereby one software components calls another software component with a certain set of parameters. Furthermore, the device can be integrated in the controlled apparatus, e.g. as a dedicated hardware unit, then forming a single physical apparatus. In that case there is no explicit transmittal of the command, but the device may directly control the controlled apparatus.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method as described in the preamble which is more user-friendly than the known method. This object is achieved according to the invention in a method which is characterized in that the activation step comprises the sub-steps of: receiving speech input, analyzing the received input for recognizing an activation instruction, and enabling the recognizing and transmitting of the command upon recognizing the activation instruction.